


Recovery Time

by LaraWrites



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Bondage, Dubious Consent, F/M, International Fanworks Day 2016, Mildly Dubious Consent, Outlaw Queen - Freeform, Rough Sex, Teacher-Student Relationship, The Enchanted Forest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-05-20 22:39:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6028009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaraWrites/pseuds/LaraWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina asks Rumplestiltskin to change her into a peasant for a short while, to gain Snow's trust. What if Snow White hadn't saved Regina from her guards? What if someone else had...</p><p>Set in Season 2 Episode 20 so spoilers until then. Mostly Outlaw Queen with a bit of Golden Queen  spice it up a bit! I wanted to post something for IFD and things tend to do better with chapter updates, so just a buttload of Regina!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

“I am the QUEEN,” She roared, her head being placed on the block. “Rumplestiltskin!” She called. When nothing happened she began to panic, frowning and breathing faster. She knew the man’s axe was going to swing down any second and part her head from her shoulders, and she was fairly sure Rumple couldn’t fix that with his magic.  
“RUMPLE-” her call was suddenly cut short as an arrow whistled by above her and found its mark in her executor’s chest. Confused, she found herself frozen as her mysterious rescuer took out the second guard and hopped up onto the platform. The first guard was back up on his feet, and at the sudden lack of grip holding her down Regina sprung up and flew back, sparing a few seconds to glance at her rescuer. He was wearing a low hood and high scarf, so all that was visible was a pair of soft blue eyes which barely lingered on her. She turned, leaving this person to fight her guards while she found a way off this wretched platform.

She didn’t see the blade, but she felt it as it pushed her off the platform and onto a passing peasant. The searing pain ripped through her entire arm, and she couldn’t even see the damage because her arms were still tied. Unable to move, she could only cry out and lie in the dirt, as any attempt to move would entail her rolling over onto her injured arm. She let herself be picked up by the surrounding peasants; she was in too much pain to refuse it. She rose slowly, vaguely aware that the fighting had ceased. Her hero hopped down off the platform and supported her weight, leaving the peasants to walk away.  
“Don’t worry,” the figure spoke, moving behind her to inspect her wound. “You’re safe now,” Regina inhaled sharply as a stab of pain coursed through her, her hero catching her as she fell forward.  
“W-who are you?” She slurred, looking into the blue eyes

The figure pulled down his scarf and threw back his hood to reveal a kind, handsome face with thick hair and stubble.  
“Robin Hood, milady” The figure bowed his head, “At your service,”

Regina promptly fainted in his arms

 

* * *

 

Regina slipped in and out of consciousness. She saw flashes of blood and steel, her own black guards, pale blue eyes and new things too. She saw a boy, who seemed to be a medical man. She saw light skies and stars. Her brain whirred and ticked and- when she finally became fully conscious- _ached._

She groaned, bringing her hand up to her head. She tried to sit up, only to be met with a searing pain in her side and dizziness that threatened to overcome her.  
“Woah there, milady,” Came a voice, and the man who had saved her- Robin Hood- swooped in and held her, laying her back down on the makeshift bed. “You might want to take it easy, you took quite a sword to the side, you won’t be going anywhere any time soon!”  
“How long have I been out?” She asked bluntly, pressing her hands to her head to stop it from swimming.  
“About a day,” The man said, picking up a cup of water and holding it to her lips. She looked up at him with a frown.  
“What do you think you’re doing?” She snapped.  
“Helping you recover,” He replied easily, “Unless you’d rather die of thirst, as opposed to bleeding out,”  
“Give that to me,” She insisted but her held both her hands down in one strong grasp, moving the cup close to her again. “Get your hands off me,” She threatened, but with no magic she knew there was little she could do. He smiled.  
“Or what?” He teased. She opened her mouth to tell him _exactly_ what he could do with that cup when he poured the water in, almost choking her so she was forced to swallow and drink. He pulled the cup away with a wry chuckle.  
“That’s better,” He said, biting back a smile at her absolutely outraged expression.  
“How _dare_ you!” She snapped, trying once again to pull her grip away. He held on tighter.  
“Stop struggling,” He insisted, “Or we’ll have to tie you up,”  
“What kind of hero are you?” She asked, “Did you save me so you could tie me up again?” He gave her a look and sighed, releasing her wrists.

“You need time to recover, milady, and I will not let you move until you have recovered completely,”  
“Yeah well I hate to ruin your grand plans but I have things to do and I’m on the clock,” She rubbed her wrists and glared at the man, trying to ignore the searing pain in her side.  
“Oh?” The man questioned, moving away from her. “What plans?”  
“That’s for me to know and you to never find out,”  
“I’m afraid I never learnt your name,” The man said, ignoring her comment.  
“For now, how about you call me ‘Your Majesty’?”  
“Are you Royalty?”  
“Of some sorts,” She narrowed her eyes. “Now I remember you; Robin Hood, the outlaw,” He turned to her with a frown.  
“I’d ask you if we’ve met, but I would never forget a woman like you,”  
“How sweet. Now let me go,  _Outlaw,_  or I’ll do something you won’t like,”

He moved to sit on the edge of her bed, looking deep into her eyes. She met his stare with one of her own; refusing to admit to herself she was slightly impressed by his Gaul.  
“Your Majesty,” He addressed, his voice so low he was practically growling. Regina tried not to feel intimidated. “You are not leaving this place until you have fully recovered, and if you try,” He leaned in slightly. He was not threatening, just very stalwart. “I _will_ tie you to this bed,” Her eyes grew in fury, and he merely chuckled at her anger.  
“Try to get some sleep,” He said, rising from her bed and leaving the tent.

There was no way she was going to stay there for another day. That Outlaw was going to have a shock when he went to check on her in the morning!


	2. Two

She felt dizzy, but otherwise okay. She knew this wasn’t a good idea; attempting stealth with a stab wound was surely a recipe for disaster! But she couldn’t stay; she had to get Snow White while she was still disguised. She wasn’t going to achieve anything whilst lying on a bed- and she couldn’t _stand_ that insufferable, cocky outlaw. She had some plans for him once her magic was back! He would regret his rudeness, and _my god_ he had had the nerve to _physically hold her down!_ She shuddered in fury, raising a hand to her head when it began to swim. She struggled out of the bed, gripping her side and gritting her teeth to stop her exclamations.

In all honesty, she didn’t really have a plan. She wouldn’t admit it, but she felt a little useless without her magic. There would be guards, and she didn’t even know where she was- but she was determined to leave! She noticed she wasn’t wearing the clothes Rumple had conjured for her, and she wondered if the outlaw had changed her. What she was wearing was much plainer- just a full length, navy, cotton dress. By her standards it was practically a nightgown- and she figured it was so they had better access to her wound. With a wince she pulled up her dress to assess the damage, and inhaled sharply at the sight of the wound. It was worse than it felt- all this activity would surely cause it to open up again.

Nevertheless, she had to leave _now_. She hadn’t had anything with her- and the outlaw apparently didn’t have the decency to leave her a weapon for self-defence, so she felt even more vulnerable. She took a deep breath – she didn’t even have any bloody _shoes_ \- and poked her heat out of the tent. They were in a field, several tents pitched beside her own. In the centre of this field she could see a campfire, with people still sitting around it. She cursed quietly- she didn’t know the time, and although it was dark she hadn’t anticipated everyone would still be awake. She told herself it was a good thing- they would be too distracted with each other to notice her slip away.

She left the tent, not bothering to close it behind her, and softly padded towards the trees, staying near to the tents so she had something to hide behind if need be. Every step sent shooting pains through her side and her head. At one point the world began to sway, and she had to pause and catch her breath. Then she reached the last tent before the cover of the trees. She evaluated the ten foot gap between her and her concealment. Normally, It would take her a mere manner of seconds to sprint it, and she would be safe and away. But now- with her side in searing agony and her head messing with her, she couldn’t rush. With a deep breath she crossed it silently, walking as fast as she could without collapsing and biting her lip with worry.

She reached the trees with a muted sigh of relief, almost chuckling as she looked back at the campfire, now far in the distance. She rested against a tree while she waited for the dizziness to recede as before, but it wasn’t improving. Still, even nausea couldn’t dent her mirth at having outsmarted that _awful_ outlaw. She chuckled at the thought of his face when he discovered her gone.  
“Fool,” She muttered sharply.  
“Well that’s not very nice,” came a voice from behind her, so suddenly it made her jump and nearly fall. She turned slowly to see the Outlaw- and his fucking smug grin- standing there. He had probably watched her struggle the whole way.  
“Son of a bitch,” She mumbled, turning to run from him, but her head was still swimming and now it became overwhelming. Her world tilted and she would’ve fallen, had he not caught her. She felt herself being encased by his strong arms as he picked he up- bridal style- and as she faded out of consciousness she heard him mutter “Maybe next time you’ll make it further than four metres,”

* * *

 

She came to on the same bed she had last time, and felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as Robin Hood once again rushed forward and caught her as she tried to sit up. She frowned when she felt the constriction, and saw her wrists were tied, and she was bound to the bed.  
“What the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?” She snapped, pulling against the restraint, trying not to panic. This time she didn’t have magic to save her, and apparently Rumplestiltskin was too busy to bail her out. She continued to struggle against her restraints, even when her head began to swim.  


“Well, _your majesty,_ apparently you have a suicide wish. You’re recovering from a stab wound, you need to lie down-”  
“-You’ll be lying down dead by the time I’ve finished with you, _thief-_ ”  
“- And if you won’t submit on your own accord, I had no other choice but to-“  
“-No other choice? That’s bullshit!” Robin sat on the edge of the bed and rolled his eyes.  
“A simple ‘Thank You’ would suffice, milady,” Regina stopped struggling for a moment and glared at him in outrage.  
“’Thank You’? Ar-“  
“You’re welcome,” he cut in, smirking at her face growing more and more flushed.

Regina let the pause linger as she stuttered in anger and struggled to compose a sentence.  
“This is outrageous!” She snapped. “You save me, untie me, then tie me back up and keep me as your prisoner?”  
“So you’re admitting I saved you?”  
“What sort of hero ties people up?”   
“You’re not a prisoner, you’re a patient,”  
“I’m a _hostage,_ ” She sighed, raising her eyebrows. “If I’m not a prisoner, why won’t you let me leave,” Robin stood up from the bed, moving across the large tent to make her a drink of water. She followed him with her eyes.  
“You can leave,” he said, “When you’ve recovered,”  
“Take me home so I can recover there!” She ordered.   
“And where is home, milady? Who are you?” He asked conversationally, bringing a cup of water over to her.

Regina hesitated. She could never tell him the truth, but she had admitted she was royalty- how could she lie her way out of this one?  
“I’m Queen… Marceline, from… Aldric,”  
“Aldric?”  
“Yes, Aldric. It’s very far away,” He lifted the cup to her lips, and this time she complied immediately.  
“Aren’t you a little too young to be a queen?” He asked as she drank.  
“Aren’t you a little too honourable to be a thief?” She countered when he pulled the cup away. He smiled at her, comfortingly.   
“I have a code,” he admitted.   
“And I started early,” she mused, raising a sceptical eyebrow. He chuckled, giving her more to drink before finally setting aside the cup.   
“So what brings you here? And from a kingdom as far away as Aldric,” He asked, and she narrowed her eyes at him in scorn. She sighed when he stared at her expectantly.   
“None of your business, _outlaw_ ,” She snapped. He shrugged and moved away from her, moving to the entrance of the tent, looking out at his camp.

Regina took a moment to assess herself. Her headache was constantly throbbing- probably as a result of her escape attempt- and her vision was ever so slightly blurry, or perhaps unfocused was a better word. She experienced short and sharp bursts of pain from her side, which were persistent and the most intense pain she was feeling right now. The wound had begun to heal again, she knew. With a blush, she spared a moment to consider who had changed her outfit, and who was stripping her down to bathe her wounds (She guessed it was the outlaw, and while the thought outraged her it also enticed her. She had used her body several times as a means to an end- the thief would be no different)

Robin looked back from outside the tent and into Regina’s eyes, something very few people had done. With a blink she registered that he wasn’t really looking into her eyes, he was looking into the eyes of whoever Rumple had made her. He was looking into Marceline’s eyes.  
“What time is it?” She asked, genuinely curious. He smiled at her softly.  
“Afternoon,” He said, “Approaching sunset,” She nodded, letting the dizziness subside before she spoke again.  
“How long until I can go?” A voice in her subconscious told her to run again. To find a way to break her bonds and escape- she was wasting time.   
“By the looks of your wound, I’d say at least two more days,” She sighed in frustration. Running was no good, she was too weak to make her escape and when the outlaw caught her god knows what he would do next to ensure she stayed.

Robin took two steps into the tent and put his hands into his pockets.  
“Get some sleep, Marceline-”  
“- _Your Majesty_ -”   
“-Marceline, and I’ll wake you up in the morning, okay? With a big hearty breakfast- because you need to keep your strength up,” She scoffed and rolled her eyes.  
“I will get a ‘Thank You’ out of you,” He chuckled, leaving her and closing the tent behind him.


	3. Three

“Papa, I think she’s awake!”  
“Better make sure, Roland,”  
Regina woke instantly when she felt something land on her, and she sat bolt upright (or as far upright as she could, taking her restrained wrists into account).  
“Woah,” the toddler sitting on her lap said. “Papa she’s definitely awake,” He offered her a toothy grin. “G’morning Marcy-leen,”  
“ _Your majesty,_ ” Regina corrected promptly. “Who are you?” She would’ve pushed the young boy off her legs if she could.  
“I’m Roland, Majesty,” He said, smiling.

“This is my son,” introduced a familiar voice, and she picked up her head to look past the child and into the eyes of Robin Hood. They didn’t look all that similar, Robin and his boy.   
“Will you take him off of me?” She snapped, but her voice didn’t have itis usual barb. Regina was in no way maternal, but she found even so that she didn’t want to upset this small boy. Robin just chuckled.  
“I’m afraid I couldn’t get out of babysitting today, milady. And I thought perhaps you could enjoy the company,”  
“Of a toddler?” she countered, but all the same couldn’t help but let out a small smile at the boy’s humming.  
“He’s… entertaining,” Robin mused, smiling at his son. Roland seemed to realise the conversation was about him.  
“Look, Majesty,” the child said loudly, standing up on the bed. “I am four now! See? See?” He reached as high as he could and stood on the balls of his feet for emphasis. Regina snorted, rolling her eyes. “And Papa says when I’m _five_ I can try riding on my own!  
“When you’re five, eh?” Regina raised an eyebrow. “I started when I was three and a half,” Roland looked at his father in protest.   
“ _Papa!_ Majesty said she got to ride a horse at _three and a half!_ That’s not _fair!_ ” Robin shot Regina a glare.  
“You’re quite right Roland,” he said, “Perhaps Marceline would be willing to impart some of her equine knowledge?”  
“Perhaps she would,” she answered. Roland frowned at his father, and turned to Regina instead.  
“Papa _always_ uses big words. What does ‘ek-ekewine’ mean?” Robin snickered.  
“Roland, ‘equine’ mea-”  
“Not _you,_ Papa. I asked Majesty,” Regina stuck her chin out at Robin, gloating.  
“Well, Roland, ‘equine’ means horse, just like ‘feline’ means cat,” Roland clicked with a grin.  
“I get it,” He said, “You are very smart, Majesty,” Roland commented.

He shifted up on the bed until he was sitting closer to Regina. She was thoroughly enjoying this; ganging up on Robin with his son. Roland’s tubby hand reached out to Regina’s, still tied to the bedpost, and held it as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.  
“Majesty, why is Papa allowed to call you Marcy-leen?”  
“He’s not, Roland,” She replied, clearly aiming her sentence at the boy’s father, sitting on the other end of the bed.  
“Then, he’s being naughty?”   
Robin opened his mouth to protest but Regina silenced him by inclining her head. The outlaw chuckled- clearly defeated- and held his hands up in surrender.   
“Roland, would you go and ask Little John if breakfast is ready?” The little boy gave Regina’s bound hand a kiss and giggled, shouting a goodbye as he ran out of the tent and away.

“He certainly is… charming,” Regina smiled.  
“He’s a pest, but he’s mine,” A shadow passed over Robin’s face. “His mother died not so long after he was born. It was a struggle,” Regina raised a sceptical eyebrow but said nothing. “But we’re here now, and I think he turned out okay,”  
“Considering he’s your offspring he could’ve been a lot worse,” she snarled. Robin turned his attention back to the supposed Queen tied to his bed. He felt the sudden urge to do something outrageous. Marceline had been mocking him since the second he saved her, and Robin’s daring nature pushed him to take a risk. Knowing fully well how much she would hate it, Robin mimicked his son’s movements and grasped Regina’s hand, moving it to his lips and kissing it softly. She tried to pull away, and when that failed she rolled her eyes and scoffed.   
“Delightful, _thief_ ,” she snapped. That did it. He looked up at her with an impish grin and licked her hand from knuckles to wrist. She shouted in disgust and tried to pull back or wipe it off, watching with outrage as the outlaw fell about laughing.

Roland burst back into the tent holding two plates in triumph.  
“I brought you breakfast, Majesty. And yours, Papa- and I didn’t drop _anything_!”  
“Congratulations, Roland,” Robin said once he had finished laughing. He took the plates off his son and sent him to eat his breakfast with the Merry Men. He took the plates over to the bed and placed them on the edge, just by the side of Regina’s legs.  
“You’re going to have to untie at least one of my hands now, _outlaw_ ,” She snapped victoriously. She didn’t like the look of Robin’s mischievous smile.  
“Not necessarily,” she heard him mutter and her smirk fell when she saw him pick up a piece of bacon and bring it over to her mouth. “Open wide,” he teased and –unwilling to open her mouth to even reply- Regina glared at him in fury. How dare he- how _dare_ he!  
“Come on Marceline,” Robin prompted “You need to keep up your strength,”  
She did- especially if she wanted to leave sooner. But this was downright humiliating! The Evil Queen was not _fed_.

The Evil Queen was tied to a bed in a tent and was in no position to be fussy.

With a particularly cold stare she accepted the food, eating it as gracefully- and borderline seductively- as possible.


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I accidentally forgot to upload this chapter and the other one came out as chapter four, so I'm going to update the order sorry for any confusion!

The sun was beginning to set again, and Regina once again appealed to her rescuer (captor).  
“Will you let me go tomorrow?” She asked, looking up into his eyes as he moved to light candles around the tent. He frowned at her.  
“Perhaps, If you’ve improved,”  
She had. She had spent all day in bed, eating healthily and sleeping regularly. The outlaw had untied her periodically to let her go to the bathroom (a lake- a _lake!_ ) but kept a close eye on her. She knew that running was futile anyway.

Robin finished lighting the candles and sat on the edge of her bed. He moved the covers off of her and began to lift her skirt.  
“What are you doing?” She snapped, pulling against her restraints. He halted his movements instantly.  
“Relax, Marceline. I’m just checking your wounds and changing the dressing.”  
“It’s _your majesty_ ,” She mumbled in reply. A day ago she would never have let him do this, but honestly she found she simply couldn’t be bothered to stop him. He was helping her, after all. Robin ignored her and continued to pull up the dress. He reached her underwear with an uncomfortable cough, and she found she rather enjoyed his coyness. She noticed his eyes linger on the black lace, before continuing past her hipbones to her slender waist, which was already bound. The blood had soaked through her bandages and she clenched her teeth at the cold, her teeth beginning to chatter. He looked up at her and noticed her reaction.  
“Are you alright, milady?”  
“I’m just a bit cold,” She replied. Her eyes blazed as she looked at him. He moved slowly, climbing onto her legs and sitting just below her waist. She noticed the glint in his eyes.  
“Allow me to keep you warm, your majesty,” She smiled at her proper title and bit her lip slowly –seductively- and held eye contact.

The Outlaw changed dressings quickly and efficiently, his fingers ghosting over her skin, making her breath hitch. She never took her eyes off his, watching his brow furrow as he focussed on knots. He looked up and grinned, bending his head low and taking the bandage into his mouth, just inches above her skin. She felt the hairs on her arm raise as his breath brushed over her. He looked up and into her eyes as he pulled the bandage tight, eliciting a small gasp from the queen.

This whole situation had taken a very sudden turn. She couldn’t seem to help herself, she slowly arched her back to push against him, smiling mischievously. He crept up towards her, holding his head just over hers, his knees just above her waist on either side. They held each other’s gaze for a second- two, three, four- before he finally leaned down and placed his lips on hers. She opened her mouth to his, pushing upwards and encouraging him to tilt his head to deepen the kiss. His hands moved into her hair as he kissed harder, and she raised her head off the pillow to push against him. Until her head began to swim, and she felt herself blacking out.

She dropped her head back and took deep breaths as Robin held her face in his hands. She was vaguely of him calling her name- no, not _her_ name- in concern. She focussed on her breathing until she felt stable again, and flickered her eyes open, staring straight into Robins.  
“I’m fine,” She muttered. He sighed in relief and placed a brief kiss on her lips, before moving to her left and whispering in her ear.  
“It seems I’m too much for you to handle, milady,”

My god he was _annoying!_


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was previously posted as Four but is actually Five whoops :/

_“What the fuck was that?” she shouted angrily, bursting through the doors of the room. Rumplestiltskin merely raised an eyebrow._   
_“Such colourful language is not suitable for a young girl,” He stared at her calmly. “And a queen, no less,”_   
_“Fuck you,” She spat, throwing as much venom into her voice as she could. “I’m starting to question your teaching methods,” she added. Rumplestiltskin giggled._   
_“You’re welcome to leave, dearie,” He grinned at her smugly. “But good luck finding yourself another teacher,”_

_He knew as well as she did that she wasn’t going anywhere. Furious at his most recent stunt- to throw her from a tower to see how successfully she could teleport- and his general cajoling she reached up a hand to slap him._

_Mistake._

_He grabbed it before it made contact with animalistic speed. She froze, trying to keep the fear out of her eyes. Of course her teacher scared her; he was the dark one!_   
_“Careful, dearie,” He warned, staring straight into her soul with his reptilian eyes. Regina tried to pull her hand away, rather regretting her rash decision, but Rumple held onto it. He dug his nails into her skin until she couldn’t help but grimace. “We can’t be having this sort of disobedience, can we Regina?” her heart began to thump so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Her blood ran ice cold. She knew that look in his eye; knew where things were headed. This had happened once or twice since she had been Rumple’s pupil, but never when he was angry. He began to walk backwards slowly, at a menacing pace, forcing her back too; his hand still gripping her wrist hard enough to hurt. Her back hit the wall but Rumple didn’t stop until he was pressed fully up against her, and she could feel his breath on her skin. She bit her lip in anticipation. The hand that wasn’t gripping her wrist moved to her waist to keep her firmly in place against the wall._

_“I think an apology is in order, Regina,” he spoke with a low voice, directly into her ear. Her heart was pounding in excitement and fear as she moved her eyes up to his. He was glaring at her, and she tried to look nonchalant as she kept her mouth firmly shut._   
_“Come on, Regina,” He said, “Didn’t your mother tell you it’s rude to ignore people?” Somehow she found her voice and dared retort;_   
_“It’s rude to throw people off towers,” Something flashed in Rumplestiltskin’s eyes. Within a blink of an eye the hand on her waist reached up and slapped her across the face. Before she could react he lifted her other hand to join the first and pinned her wrists above her head, distracting her from her stinging cheek by pushing her against the wall and kissing the life out of her. She was determined not to give in, refusing to return his kiss. The problem was he didn’t seem to care, moving down her neck with some particularly harsh bites soothed by his tongue. She could feel pleasure pooling low in her stomach and she closed her eyes against it. No no no no, not now! She couldn’t resist him. Her body acting without her permission, she pushed her hips against his and moaned at the contact. He chuckled in triumph against her collarbone, and in his moment of weakness she broke her arms free and tangled them in his hair, spinning them so he was pinned against the wall and she was kissing him. He pulled her away and she saw something in his eyes –surprise? Pride?- before she was consumed in green smoke._

_She landed on a bed; Rumplestiltskin’s bed. She moved to get up but Rumple used his weight to hold her down. He reclaimed her wrists and held them at the top of her bed, conjuring a rope to tie her to the headboard._   
_“That’s better,” He announced, staring down at her. She swallowed- her breath coming in heavy pants. He smirked at her._   
_“Untie me now Rumple or I swear-”_   
_“Please, dearie, spare me the threats. We both know you’re enjoying this,” She felt the colour rise to her cheeks as she fought to maintain control of her expression._   
_“You’re deluding yourself,” She spat, and he grinned mischievously. She didn’t like that grin one bit._   
_“Tell you what,” He said, hovering a few inches about her, “How about a deal?” His hand began to trail up her leg, taking her dress with it. She shivered as he reached her knee. “If you’re really not enjoying, I’ll stop,” His hand moved up her thigh, exposing more and more of her leg. He looked her in the eye and giggled at the look of horror on her face. She knew he had won. His hand stroked over the lace covering her- already drenched - and pushed them aside. He paused for a moment, before stroking her and making her writhe. She was soaking. He sighed with satisfaction and smiled at her._   
_“Bastard,” She spat, and opened her mouth to continue before he rubbed circles around her clit, halting her sentence and eliciting a moan._   
_“We’ll have less of the name calling, dearie,” He muttered, continuing to torture her with slow, languid movements._

_She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out as he tightened the coil in her stomach. When he slipped a finger inside her she couldn’t help but release a gasp, before turning her head and biting into the pillow. She pulled against her restraints and- too her embarrassment- ground herself onto his fingers._   
_“Are you enjoying this, Regina?” He hummed into her ear with a chuckle, “Oh I can tell you are,” her breath hitched as he added another finger._   
_“How about that apology?” She snapped her eyes open and glared at him, gritting her teeth against the oncoming wave of sensation._   
_“No? Very well,” Rumple shrugged and stopped all movement of his fingers. Regina let loose a whimper and scowled at his responding laugh. After a beat his fingers began to pick up their rhythm again, and she had to close her eyes and chew her lip to hold back the moans she was dying to let loose. When he added a third finger she couldn’t help but moan his name and pull against her restraints harshly, so the rope chaffed her skin. He smirked at her reaction._   
_“Apologise to me dearie, or I’ll stop,” He told her. She kept her eyes closed, panting heavily and moving her hips in rhythm with his fingers._   
_“Regina,” He warned, and she debated it giving him what he wanted. No, no, she wouldn’t give in without a fight. She felt herself building closer to her release, until she was burning and oh so close._

_He stilled, his fingers inside her._   
_“No!” She cried out, tensing her body and arching her back at the loss of contact. For a moment she just laid there- her eyes closed- listening to the sound of her heavy breathing. Perhaps he had given up? Then his thumb circled her clit again._   
_“Rumple,” She moaned, all high and breathy, cursing herself. He raised an eyebrow._   
_“What was that, Regina?” Her hands fisted the pillow as his fingers continued their onslaught and she began to build once more._   
_“Was that an apology?” His fingers curled inside her and she cried out._   
_“Sorry!” FUCK! No! She couldn’t be giving up!_   
_“A little louder, dearie?” That cocky bastard. She felt his hand slow and groaned, finally giving in._   
_“I’m sorry- I’m sorry I shouted at you- and tried to hit you- I’m sorry- I’m really fucking sorry- ahh Rumple- yes- don’t stop- I’m sorry- I’m sorry,” His fingers worked her faster, pushing her closer and closer to the edge._

_“Good girl,” He hummed and she gasped at his words, opening her eyes to watch him lean down towards her. “Say ‘please’, Regina,”_   
_“What?” This was getting ridiculous._   
_“Beg me, Regina. Say ‘please’,”_   
_That motherfucker. She opened her mouth and started to tell him to fuck off when he added a fourth-fuck-fourth finger and she gripped the sheets and arched her back and lost control._   
_“Pleasepleasemotherfuckingplease. Please- Rumple- please- yes- I’m so close- yes- Rumple- fuck!” She snapped and spiralled over the edge, screaming as she came, her body tensing and muscles seizing._

She woke in a cold sweat, her eyes opening suddenly. She threw herself up and when she found herself restrained, she panicked. Confused and disorientated she looked around to try and decipher where she was- but try as she might she couldn’t puzzle it out.

She saw the blood on the sheets and began to scream.

 


	6. Six

“You’re alright Milady, It was just a nightmare. Look at me Marceline; look at me! You must have been thrashing about in your sleep and reopened your wound. Calm down Marceline! Please, you need to calm down!”  
She took deep breaths and looked straight into Robin’s eyes as he attempted to placate her.  
“Please, your majesty; just take deep breaths and relax, everything is okay. I just need to sort you out. There’s nothing wrong just please, calm down,”  
“I’m calm,” She whispered quietly, finally feeling fully awake. The ache in her side was borderline unbearable but once she had her breathing under control it was easier to handle. She looked into Robin’s eyes and matched her breathing with his, following the rhythm set by his hand stroking her face.  
“There, there you go. It was just a nightmare, Milady. You’re okay, I need to clean you up though,”  
Regina nodded her assent, and Robin pulled the bloodstained sheets off the bed. Now- with a clear head- Regina saw that there wasn’t as much blood as she thought.

Robin pulled up her skirt again- the seduction was gone now, she noticed. Just pure concern, although she didn’t miss his glance at her, searching for her consent- and untied the dressing he had applied not twelve hours ago. He swiftly tied a new bandage, and pulled it softly this time. He pulled her skirt down and smiled gently at her, moving to the head of the bed and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.  
“Thank you,” She said in a small voice, and she returned his smile. He moved his hands up to where hers were tied to the bedpost, slowly undoing one and then the other restraint until she was free. She rubbed her wrists and frowned at him in confusion. In reply to her silent question, he leant down and kissed her, chaste and soft. She smiled against his lips and he pulled away before she had the chance to kiss him harder and black out again.

He sat back on a chair next to her bed.  
“What was your dream?” She blushed uncomfortably.  
“Oh, nothing,” Robin raised an eyebrow.  
“Sounds interesting,” He commented.  
“Sounds like none of your business, _thief_ ,” she snapped. Robin sat back in thought, chewing his lip before finally voicing his thoughts.  
“Question for a question,”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Let’s try it! I ask you a question, you ask me a question,”

Regina considered this. She had a lot to lose, it was quite a risk. But she felt much closer to the outlaw than she had when he had first saved her, and if she didn’t say yes immediately he’d simply badger her until she did. She sighed and rolled her eyes.  
“Very well. Me first. Who was Roland’s mother?”  
“Her name was Marian,” Robin began, his voice low and his face unreadable. Regina watched him closely. “She worked at a Tavern near where I lived. I didn’t want to be with her at first because she wanted to join us- my Merry Men, that is- and I thought it would be too dangerous,” Regina scoffed and he looked at her, grinning. “What?”  
“Typical,” She mumbled, smiling. “You have to be so noble, don’t you?”  
“Well, like I said Milady, I have a code. Anyway; my turn. What was your dream?” Regina sighed in annoyance, contemplating her answer.  
“An old teacher of mine had some very dubious teaching methods, and his disciplinary action was also questionable,”  
“Oh yes?”  
“Yes. My turn; why did you save me that day?”  
“Why wouldn’t I?” He frowned like it wasn’t even a question.  
“You risked your life for a complete stranger! You had no idea who I was,”  
“So?” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands as he laughed at her.  
“I could be a mass murderer, or a baby-stealer, or anyone,”  
“That doesn’t matter, you’d still be worth saving,” She frowned at him.  
“Really?” He looked at her gravely, deep into her eyes.  
“Everyone is worth saving,”  
“What about the Evil Queen?” She blurted, regretting the words as soon as they were out of her mouth.

Robin didn’t seem to notice, cocking his head as he considered her question. He gave a solid nod.  
“Absolutely,” He said, “Everybody deserves a second chance. _Especially_ the Evil Queen,”  
“But why?” Regina couldn’t stop herself from asking, “She’s slaughtered entire villages,”  
“She’s a monster, yes,” He said, looking her dead in the eye. “But something must have made her that way. And everyone can change,”

“My turn,” Robin broke the tension suddenly, sitting up and clapping his hands together. “What were this teachers dubious teaching methods and disciplinary action. They must have been terrible, to give you nightmares,”  
“Hmm..” Regina hummed “He believed in a learn-as-you-go method, throwing me in the deep end, so to speak,” _Literally._  
“And your dream specifically was about…?” Regina cleared her throat and blushed, looking away uncomfortably before muttering.  
“A very intense battle of wills. And he did not play fair. Anyway; my turn. What is this code you keep talking about?”

Robin chuckled softly and cleared his throat as if it were rehearsed.  
“Steal from the rich and give to the poor. Be truthful, righteous and good,” He grinned at her and Regina raised her eyebrows.  
“Is that it?”  
“Yes,”  
“Oh,” She frowned but couldn’t hold in her chuckle at Robin’s petulant expression. “It’s… uh… lovely,” He rolled his eyes at her.  
“My turn,”  
“Last go,” She interrupted, yawning, “I’m getting sleepy,”  
“Okay,” he looked up at her, dead in the eye, all humour gone. “Why did you chose the name Marceline, Regina?”

Regina felt her stomach drop. She sucked in a breath and froze, a look of horror stuck on her face.  
“I- I’m not- I didn’t,”  
“I know It’s you, Regina. You talk in your sleep, and you talk like her. _And_ all this talking about the Evil Queen getting a second chance?”  
“Robin- I- how long have you known?” secretly she felt mildly impressed by him.  
“Since I first brought you here. You kept talking in your sleep,” She hid her face in her hands  
“Why haven't you killed me?”

There was a moment of complete silence and Regina couldn’t hear Robin, she could only hear her own heavy breaths. Maybe he was going to kill her now. Maybe he wanted to out her first before he did it. There was no way she could stop him. And-dare she admit it- she was almost starting to like him. Robin reached out and pulled her hands down slowly, staring deeply into her eyes.  
“Didn’t you hear me Regina,” He said quietly, softly, smiling slightly. She realised she rather liked the sound of her name on his tongue. “I’m giving you a second chance,” And just like before he reached down and kissed her gently, and she felt a tear roll down her cheek as she kissed him back. When he pulled away she shook her head- still smiling. She pulled him in and pulled back the bedsheets to let him in.  
“Stay?” She asked quietly, trepidation in her eyes. He smiled back at her and sighed, climbing in and pulling the blanket up to cover them both, enveloping her in his arms.

He dropped a kiss on her forehead and stroked her arm softly until she fell asleep.


	7. Seven

When she woke he was gone. She sighed and frowned, opening her eyes as she recalled last night’s events. Her dream, Robin out-ing her, him staying. She clenched her teeth and rolled her eyes; why had she asked him to stay?  She didn’t even _like_ the thief. But even so, she couldn’t help but worry as the minutes passed. It seemed to be morning, nobody had woken her and nobody was coming to visit. She couldn’t even hear the usual chatter of the camp beyond her own tent. Just as she was considering getting up to investigate the tent flap swung open and Roland toddled in. _Strange,_ Regina thought, _he knows who I really am and yet he still sends his son._

“Majesty!” Roland cried, and Regina realised why she felt so uneasy- something was definitely wrong. Roland was crying, tears streaming down his face as he jumped onto the bed and threw his arms around her.  
“What is it Roland?” She asked with concern.  
“They’ve all gone, Majesty; they went out just like normal but they never came back. Jack was staying behind to watch the camp but when Will came back and told Jack what happened he said he needed to go and try to rescue them and they put me in my tent and went together and they haven’t come back either and-“  
“Slow down,” Regina told the young boy, sitting up on the bed and wiping his eyes and nose on the corner of the sheet. “So, they’ve all gone away and haven’t come back?”  
“Yes,”  
“Do you know where they went?”  
“To the castle, Majesty! King George’s castle, there was a ball and they went to the treasury,”  
Regina scoffed, “Of course they did,”  
“And Will said they had all got caught and the guards took them away and they might lock them in the dungeon,”  
“Yes, they might,” She mumbled, looking out the tent flap. She knew she had to help Robin; after all he had saved her and would hate to remain in his debt. But there was only one way she was going to be of any use to them.

“Roland,” She said to the young boy sitting on her bed, “I think I can help your father, but I need to visit someone first. You see I have a confession to make; this isn’t my real face,”  
“Did you steal it?” Roland said immediately and Regina frowned and laughed.  
“What? No- somebody changed it with magic,” Roland gasped loudly and clasped his hands over his mouth in an overly dramatic gesture.  
“ _Magic!?_ ” His voice was muffled by his hands.  
“Yes Roland. I am magic too, and I need to change back _and_ get my magic back if I plan to rescue Robin,”   
“But Majesty I don’t understand, magic is bad, isn’t it?”  
“It can be,” She admitted. She pulled back the sheets and lifted the boy down from the bed, wincing as she did so.  
“Is your magic bad?” Roland asked as Regina pulled on a cape she found on the floor of the tent.  
“Well, I suppose it is,” She answered. Roland followed her out the tent.  
“But doesn’t that make you bad?” Regina stopped for breath and winced in pain; her side was on fire and her head was swimming but she couldn’t give up. She was relieved to see a horse left in the fenced off area they had been kept. There were two left actually, but she only needed one.  
“Uh, well yes I suppose it does,”

They reached the horse and biting her lip Regina-somehow- managed to lift Roland onto the horse. She gripped it’s mane and paused, closing her eyes and catching her breath. Once her head had stopped aching she used the tree to lift herself onto the horse, crying out as she sat down into the saddle. Roland placed his hands either side of her face and raised her head to look into his eyes.  
“I don’t think you’re bad, Majesty,” he said quietly, and she smiled sadly, knowing how wrong the small boy was. Then she wrapped her arms around him and took off at a gallop.

They reached the mansion with impressive time. Regina considered leaving Roland outside but decided he was safer by her side. Apologising to Robin for bringing his son to this place, Regina pushed the doors open and walked right in. She limped slightly, she could feel herself losing more and more blood and her head had gone from pulsing to throbbing. She let the doors close by themselves behind her and she walked down the dark corridor.  
“Where are we, Majesty?” Roland asked.  
“Hush,” She said quietly.  
“Why bother, dearie? I know you’re here.” She turned suddenly and saw Rumple leaning against his wall. She felt Roland draw behind her skirt and she squeezed his hand reassuringly, ignoring the ringing in her ears. “You know, I think that face suits you, perhaps you should keep it.”  
“You didn’t come when I called you,” she shot at him. He sighed, moving into the room and talking back over his shoulder. Regina followed him slowly, limping.  
“I was busy, things crop up, I’m quite popular you know,”  
“I could’ve died,”  
“But, you didn’t. And you even made a friend,” Rumple referenced the small boy clinging to Regina’s skirts. “He’s a bit small for you don’t you think?”  
“Rumplestiltskin, stop,” she called at him and he paused and turned. Regina leaned against his doorway, catching her breath. She drew her the hand that wasn’t holding Roland’s to her side and it came away covered in blood.  
“That’s quite a nasty cut there, dearie,” She looked up and glared at him.  
“I have you to thank for that,” She sneered.  
“Ooh! Our Evil Queen doesn’t like being powerless!” He walked backwards, never breaking eye contact. “How does it feel Regina? Futility. I imagine you’re quite… bitter,” He let loose an absurd giggle as she stood straight once again.

“I need you to change me back, Rumple,”  
He let the statement hang in the air for a moment, looking her straight in the eye.  
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Regina?” he asked, and if she didn’t know him she would’ve mistaken his tone for concern. She knew different; she saw the malice in his eyes.  
“Yes,”  
“Are you sure you’re sure?”  
“Stop it, Rumple. We both have better things to be doing than annoying each other,” He moved towards her slowly.  
“You know dearie, I never had you pinned down for heroics,” She scoffed at him and he turned his back on her. “Oh yes, off you go to save your thief. The two of you can ride off into the night together,”  
“Shut up Rumple, It’s not like that,”  
“It’s not?”  
“He saved me, we’ll be even after this,”  
“Oh you keep telling yourself that,” She groaned audibly in frustration. And he turned around and grinned at her.

“ _Nobody_ deserves a second chance, Regina.” He growled quietly “Especially not monsters like you and I” She looked down at the floor, unable to keep the disappointment out of her eyes. She was so sick of Rumple invading her privacy. When she looked back up she thought of slapping that smug smile off his face- but she knew that was a stupid idea.  
“Just change me back, Rumple” She gritted her teeth as she spat the word he wanted to hear, “Please,” He smiled an infuriating smile that made her blood boil.  
“Well, so long as you’re sure,” He said and waved his hands. Regina was enveloped in a puff of green, and when it cleared she was aware of Roland letting go of her hand. She looked over to the mirror in the far corner and smiled as she saw she was herself again. She felt the magic coursing through her; felt her wounds heal.

She turned to Roland who was backing away from her slowly.  
“It’s okay Roland, I’m still the same person,”  
“You don’t _look_ the same,” The boy said quietly. “You look like the Evil Queen,” Regina sensed the tense situation and sensitive subject and she dropped to her knees to be on the boy’s level.  
“I _am_ the Evil Queen, Roland. I always ways, even when I was Marceline,”  
“I don’t understand,” The boy looked at her in confusion, unsure of whether to trust her.

“It’s all magic dearie,” Rumple interrupted. “She’s the same on the inside. Different outside,”  
“Exactly,” Regina didn’t even spare him a glance. She reached out her hand to Roland. “Trust me, Roland. We need to go and save Robin,”  
“With good magic?” Rumplestiltskin’s giggled cut short the lie she had ready to reply with.  
“No, with _my_ magic,” Roland looked deep into Regina’s eyes and- with a deep breath- took her hand. She stood up straight and reluctantly turned back to her teacher.  
“Good luck with your rescue mission dearie. Don’t forget to come crawling back to me when it backfires; I’ll help you take your mind off it.” He turned to walk away. “Maybe this is what it will take for you to realise what you really are, and how people really feel about you,”

Regina looked down at the little boy desperately gripping her hand.  
“Come on Roland, let’s go and rescue your Daddy,”


	8. Eight

Regina threw open the doors with magic, half for the effect and half to reassure herself she still had it. After three days completely bereft of her sorcery she was intent on using it as often as possible. It worked; people looked terrified as they cleared a path down the hall and moved away from her. King George sat on a throne at the end of the hall, his smug bastard of a son- Jim? James?- on his right. Neither of them looked deterred by her entry, but she remained hopeful. The guard who had announced her arrival backed away from her slowly, looking to his King to throw the evil guest out. George did not.  
“Queen Regina, how nice of you to visit,”  
“Let’s skip the formalities, George, I’m here on business,”

George cast his eye around the full room- watched the people in his court looking back and forth between the stubborn monarchs- and waved his hands to have them dismissed. Regina stared straight at him as the room cleared until it was only them, the Prince and a few servants remaining.  
“Afraid you’ll be humiliated?” She asked innocently. George’s smile was forced.  
“What do you want, Regina?” She raised her eyebrow at him and turned away, looking down at the length of the hall. She moved around like she owned it- like George and his son were her guests as opposed to the reverse.  
“A gift,” She said loudly. She heard James scoff.  
“Why should we give you a gift?” She turned her head until she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was holding back any fear he felt- what a shame. Her eyes locked on his, she twisted her hand and heard the guard’s neck snap. He crumpled to the floor and Regina studied the young Prince’s reaction. He visibly paled and looked from the corpse to her and back. George rolled his eyes.

“Enough, Regina.”  
“Oh you won’t miss him, will you? Oops,” She grinned. They didn’t call her evil for nothing.  
“What is it you want?” George asked, sitting up in his seat. Regina cocked her head, before returning her attention to the embroidered curtain beside her.  
“A few of your prisoners, actually. Thieves,”  
“I know them,” She glanced up at the King and saw him shift in his seat. “I caught them stealing from my treasury last night. They’re all to be executed tomorrow. What do you want with them?”  
“Believe it or not, they’re cross-realm thieves. They’ve stolen from my kingdom too and I have sworn my revenge,”  
“And yet you have been unable to catch them?” James piped up, smug despite her homicide. Dully, she wondered how many servants she would have to kill before the boy feared her.  
“I’m _slightly_ pre-occupied trying to catch my bandit stepdaughter.”  
“Perhaps your obsession with her is compromising your ability to rule,” She turned and gave the prince a sickly smile.  
“I doubt that, after all if your father can juggle ruling with overcoming his stupidity, I’m sure I can multitask too,” She watched the boy’s face turn a deep shade of crimson.

“Insulting me is a fine way to ask for a gift, Regina,” George silenced his son with his hand.  
“Does that mean you’ll give them to me?”  
“Not quite,” Internally, she groaned. “I propose we make a deal. You don’t get something for nothing these days,”  
“I’m not in the business of making deals, perhaps you’re confusing me with someone else,” She knew very little about George’s deal with Rumplestiltskin but he didn’t need to know that. George’s smile curdled like milk.  
“You won’t get them off me, Regina, not without me getting something in return,” Regina had wandered to the other side of the hall and began to pick at a vase.  
“What do you have in mind?” She asked, seemingly bored. When she looked up she found George’s leer made her uneasy.  
“My son needs a wife, your husband has been dead nearly a year now,” She didn’t hear the rest of his proposal; she was too disgusted to pay attention. She saw the boy lick his lips- almost comically- and she threw back her head and laughed; practically cackled.  
“Marry _that_!?” James and George wore matching outraged expressions. Adorable. “Not in this life, George. I had no idea you were so funny,”

George folded his arms over his chest and sat back in his chair.  
“I may have something else to suggest,” He mumbled through a glare. Regina had had enough. Time to call the shots.  
“I have a better deal,” She watched his eyebrows rise, “How about you give me the outlaws, and I don’t burn your castle to the ground?” She clicked her fingers and summoned a fireball, holding it threateningly. Her heart fell when the king didn’t react, despite his son’s obvious fear.   
“Nice try, Regina,” King George said, getting out of his chair and approaching her. “You burn this place to the ground and your thieves die too,”  
“Don’t be so sure,” She snapped as the King got closer- so close he would’ve burned had he been on her other side. His next words were breathed right into her ear, making her shiver.  
“If you try anything, Robin gets it,” She looked him in the eye and it clicked.

Rumple- _fucking_ -stiltskin! He had known exactly where she was and warned George about the break-in. He had told George everything. She fought to maintain her composure as she tilted her head toward the King.  
“Well, unfortunately, if that happens I remain in debt to that slovenly thief,” She put out the fire in her hands. Plan B. “Perhaps we can come to an agreement after all.” The look he gave her was infuriating, but she swallowed down her anger. George’s eyes flew up to his son and Regina followed them. When she saw his expression she felt sick.

* * *

 

 

Robin hadn’t slept yet. A few of the men had, but he hadn’t. How could he? His son was alone right now, or maybe he had been caught or stolen or worse. He tried hard not to resent Jack for abandoning the camp- he had, after all, only left to try and save them- but he was still keeping his distance. Or at least what distance he could within the cell. And then there was Regina. Okay; so she’s halfway to the grave and magic-less, but she was still dangerous and if Roland went to her for help it could either go terribly or spectacularly. Despite the breakthrough he had made with her his first assumption would be the former. No- he was sure no help was coming for the detained outlaws. It was down to him to get them out.

Not that he hadn’t already tried. He was a thief; by trade he was famous for breaking in and out of places. But this cell was something else- he was _sure_ the king had been pre-warned. It was almost as though the chamber was specifically designed to hold them. His last hope would be en-route to his own execution, though he didn’t want it to come to that. He hoped it wouldn’t. So he sat on the floor of the cell, backed up against the cold stony wall, brainstorming possible escape plans. Ones he hadn’t already tried. He looked around at his men- some sleeping, some humming, some playing with the straw on the floor. He winced as his eyes passed over Jack. Little John was standing in the centre of the cell surrounded by a few of the men, and he seemed to be fighting them. Or teaching them to fight. Or both. He heard a laugh ripple around the dungeon and couldn’t help but smile; even in captivity his men were merry. The Merry Men. He smiled- he quite liked that. Perhaps it would stick.

The sound of footsteps halted his thoughts- people hadn’t been down in this part of the dungeon since they had all been fed, and it was too soon to eat again. Something was wrong.  
“Shhh!” He called out to his men, getting to his feet. The men stopped slowly, watching Robin whose eyes were trained onto the door. The ones on the floor began to wake up; everyone followed Robin and noticed the door too. When it swung open there was a murmur amongst them.

“Miss me?” Regina asked sweetly, as if she wasn’t retrained and being held in triumph by the young Prince.  
“Regina!” Robin exclaimed, gripping the bars as a guard advanced towards them. The large man jangled with keys as Robin looked straight past him. “What’s going on?”  
“I made a pretty rotten deal, that’s what’s going on,” The door to the cell swung open and Robin approached the Queen. He considered hugging her, but decided against it. The Prince sneered at him, holding Regina’s restrained wrists behind her back. She looked uncomfortable but unfazed. Regina lowered her voice to an almost whisper. She spoke so fast Robin only just understood, and others in earshot looked confused.  
“Roland is with a Hatter living in the woods in my kingdom. He’s safe, you’ll find him.”

“What’s going on, Robin?” Little John asked. Of course- he had almost forgotten about his men, who wouldn’t’ve known about Regina. “I’ll explain later, John,” he shot over his shoulder, keeping his attention on the Queen and the King.  
“You’re all free to go,” George announced. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Next time you won’t be so lucky, I hear Regina only owes you one life debt,”  
“Actually we’re even,” She announced, a glint in her eye when he looked at her.  
“Regina! You traded yourself, for us?”  
“As I said an awful deal,”  
“Get out,” George barked at the outlaws, “Before I change my mind.”

Robin let his men pile out first, moving toward the door. Before he left he stopped and looked back, watching the prince chain Regina’s bound wrists to a ring at the back of the cell. He met her eyes and just for a second, he saw Marceline in her. She offered him a sad smile and he bit his lip as he left her in the dungeon she had saved him from.


	9. Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't even plan this much smut It's not my fault it's Rumple's I'm sorry if Golden Queen is not your thing, I promise I will return to Outlaw Queen next chapter :)

She had always been impatient. Bred on getting what she wanted, when she wanted, Regina was fine tuned to impatience. She hadn’t anticipated her own boredom.

Sleeping proved to be not so easy; her arms were pulled tight to the wall behind her and every position seemed to be uncomfortable. She guessed that eventually her tiredness would overcome her and she would sleep fitfully despite her restraints. George had produced a cuff much like her mother’s, restricting her magic. It was typical that as soon as her magic was returned to her she lost it again. She spent some time speculating why she was there. George hadn’t suggested anything beyond marrying his brat, but if that wasn’t the case then why was she being imprisoned? What were his plans for her? And where does Rumplestiltskin come into all this? She refused to believe her teacher had no influence over the events that had passed and the ones to come.

And then there was Robin. A person who had seen past her Evil Queen exterior and had discovered _Regina-_ or at least a version of her that had been buried for years. He had been kind to her and hadn’t even recoiled when she transformed form Marceline into herself. And she had done this for him; she was _imprisoned_ for him. To settle her debt. _Are you sure those are your motives?_ A voice piped up. Yes. Yes, she was. Why else? She couldn’t live with being indebted to a criminal, it was degrading.

She shifted slightly until she could feel the cold stone wall on her back, not protected by her low cut velvet dress. She stretched her legs out in front of her and let the ring hold her wrists above her head. She had tested the chains upon her entry- she could move about two feet away from the wall, could stand and even sit if her hands were held above her. She couldn’t lie down; not that would even consider lying on that filthy floor. It would ruin her hair.

She sat in silence. Occasionally a noise would break her dull thoughts and she would look up in time to see a rat scuttle across the floor nearby, or footsteps far away somewhere else in the castle. Other than that the only thing she could hear was her own breathing; steady in the cold damp. She crossed her legs over and sighed. There was only so long one could sit wallowing in their own boredom. She hummed a little, trying to recall the words of an old song her mother used to sing her a long time ago. Something about a witch living under the mountain.

She heard the footsteps but thought nothing new of them, until they didn’t fade away and increased instead. She sat up straighter- alert- as the door flew open. The cell was dark and the open door cast in a light that startled her eyes. The silhouette was unmistakable; too small to be George, it could only be James. She groaned upon his entry.  
“Don’t you have better things to do?” She snapped. He ignored her, grinning as he approached the bars. She thought that with her wrists chained they would have no need for locking the cell, but they had. Something inside her was proud they felt the need for so much precaution. James put his face in between two of the bars.  
“Comfortable, _your majesty?”_ She could just imagine punching him right in the royal nose. He chuckled and she snarled.  
“Careful, _boy,_ ” She snapped. “Remember who you are talking to,”   
“Come on then,” He taunted, “Kill me,” He moved to the door of the cell, retrieving the keys and inserting the right one. “Oh wait,” He twisted the key in the lock and pushed the door open, “You can’t”

She felt uneasy now as the young prince approached her. On her guard she rose to her feet, unwilling to give him a height advantage. With her heels they were almost equal.  
“The Evil Queen, in our dungeons,” he grinned, shaking his head as he approached. Automatically, she moved back to accommodate him and keep the distance between them. He prowled forward, stalking her like prey.  
“If only you knew what was in store for you,” He taunted. She cocked her head-showing no fear.  
“Funny, I was just thinking the same about you,” She snarled from between her teeth as James became uncomfortably close. He seemed to almost _inhale_ her, moving his head to her side and whispering directly into her ear.  
“Nervous, your majesty?” He chuckled. She swallowed down rising bile and rolled her eyes. Did he really think he was even slightly intimidating; even without her magic he was nothing more than a snivelling boy. She brought her knee up in between his legs and listened to him howl as he backed off with a satisfied grin.  
“Don’t flatter yourself, James,” she chuckled, watching his face writhe with pain. Even the expression of fury on his face as he looked up at her was funny, less so when he advanced on her. She tensed as he raised his hand- poised to hit her- when he stopped suddenly. She frowned; she recognised that squelching sound, the expression on his face. But she didn’t have magic? It wasn’t her ripping out his heart, so who was it?

Of course, she knew the answer before she had even asked herself the question. Who else who be able to enter this cell undetected? The architect, naturally. James listened to his orders and left obediently, revealing Rumplestiltskin behind him staring at Regina. Staring _through_ her. He slipped the heart into his pocket and stood completely still, watching her. Unwilling to make the first move she simply stared back. Eventually he broke their silence.  
“You look a little stuck,” He said, his mouth spreading into a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. Her lip curled and she didn’t reply. “Do you need my assistance now?”  
“You put me here,”  
“You made the deal, dearie,”  
“You knew I would,” he waved his hand in front of him in a vague gesture.  
“That’s beside the point,” She inhaled slowly, calming herself. She would _not_ fight him here. She wouldn’t take the bait. She met his hard gaze.  
“I don’t want your help,” She replied, keeping her voice as even as possible.

Now it was Rumple’s turn to stalk forward, mimicking the movements of the prince. However this time Regina’s pulse picked up and her heart hammered behind her ribcage. She found herself hoping someone would rip _his_ heart out. _If he even has one_. He moved in closer and closer, beyond personal space, until he had her pressed up against the wall of the cell. She didn’t say anything; she didn’t even look at him. She did her utmost best to ignore the man who nibbled her earlobe- just hard enough to not be playfully.  
“Want it or not, Regina,” He murmured, rolling the ‘R’ in her name. He grabbed her chained wrist behind her back and stroked the cuff that restrained her magic. “You need it,”  
Barely able to keep the contempt off her face she raised her face to his and tried to come up with a reply. She found nothing.  
“Oh don’t worry dearie,” He whispered right into her ear, his fingers working their way up her arm slowly. “I’m sure we could come to an _agreement_ ,” He rolled his hips against hers at his words and she couldn’t contain the groan which rolled treacherously from her lips. He grinned at her small show of submission, his hand reaching her shoulders as his other moved up to grasp her hip and push her into the cold stone wall. “You want to leave this cell…” He continued. He gripped her hip tight enough for her to hiss in pain and growled through his teeth “…And I want to fuck you until you scream,” Her gasp mingled her breath with his as he claimed her lips in a kiss she couldn’t help but return full-force. He tore a moan from her throat as he moved straight to her chest- groping her from the outside of her dress. He was carnal- grinding against her as he kissed down her throat, biting and sucking. He pushed his knee between her legs as his tongue moved to her sinfully low neckline, and she groaned in frustration as she moved to tangle her hands in his hair, being pulled back by her restraints.

“I like you behind bars,” He mumbled onto her cleavage, lavishing her breasts with his tongue as he continued to move his hips. She swallowed back the moan that arose at his words, determined not to give him the satisfaction. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth to retort, it would betray her and release some of the sounds she was biting back. His hands worked their way around her body; one pinning her hips to the wall as the other shifted to working its way up her leg, lifting her skirt as he went. “Perhaps I’ll have you detained more often,” She bit her lip to stop herself from swearing at him. When he lifted his mouth to kiss her she took her revenge and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He cursed, pulling away and glaring at her.  
“Are you sure you’re in a position to be playing this game, dearie?”

She wasn’t. She definitely wasn’t. But instead she cocked her head and didn’t reply, her eyes daring him. He chuckled at her- always feisty- and with a wave of her hand Regina found herself gagged and blindfolded. The sudden change drew a surprised gasp from the queen, but once her breathing had settled she realised he was no longer touching her. He couldn’t see him, and she couldn’t hear him either. She had never felt so vulnerable. She strained her ears against the silence to try and hear _anything;_ his breathing, shuffling. Suddenly she felt hands on her midsection. She raised her arms to bat them away and found herself restricted by chains; the predicament left her feeling frustrated and exposed and oh-so turned on. When Rumple’s hands drifted downward her breath hitched and she heard his chuckle come from in front of her. His words, however, were spoken to her right side.  
“You can’t fight me Regina,” He muttered. “Your body knows what it wants,” His hands reached their destination and she felt his cold smooth skin from where her skirt was bunched around her hips. His words were accompanied by his fingers, which dipped into her slowly, just shy of where she wanted them.  
“I can make your body _sing,_ ” He growled, still avoiding her bundle of nerves. He dipped a finger into her core and she cried out in surprise, his fingers cool and calloused. She could practically hear his smirk. “It can’t deny it’s master’s touch,” And as he spoke he moved to remove his finger- eliciting a cry of despair as she moved in tandem with his hand. The betrayal of her own body left her angry with herself; angry with _him._ She would’ve retaliated if she could’ve- not that she could deny his words with her body obeying him like clockwork. Two of his fingers set up a steady rhythm and she felt him bite her throat not-too-softly. She groaned through the gag, moving her hips in perfect time with his fingers. The mouth at her throat disappeared and she heard vague shuffling, but was too distracted by the deftness of his fingers to pay attention to her surroundings.

When his tongue dragged across her clit her cry was loud even through the gag. His voice seemed distant, but also punctuating.  
“Quiet, Regina,” He snapped. “You don’t want anyone coming down you and seeing you in this state?” She missed his tongue, she wanted him to stop talking and replace it. “Or perhaps you do? Perhaps you would enjoy the humiliation; the peasants seeing the _terrifying_ Evil Queen for the common whore that she is,” She swore at him through the gag; her words muffled but their intention clear. His teeth dragged across her and she closed her eyes behind the blindfold and writhed in his arms, another loud moan being pulled from her throat as her body converted the pain into pleasure. His next words were spoken as a threat.  
“Make one more sound without my permission Regina and I’ll leave you here,”  
Her eyes shot open and she stared into darkness. That bastard.

When his tongue returned to her clit she bit the gag hard to stop herself from exclaiming. His tongue worked in rhythm with his fingers, building her closer and closer to the edge which seemed just as terrifying as appealing to her. She clenched her fists behind her back to restrain the moans and sighs that sat in her throat, longing to be released into the cold air. She pulled at the chains and he switched his hand and his mouth; licking deeper and deeper inside her as his fingers circled her clit. At one point when his tongue cured deep inside her a small moan escaped her lips, whereby he paused for a moment- long enough for her to regret her mistake and pull longingly against the restraints- before continuing as if nothing had happened. She felt herself building to the point where her eyes were screwed shut. He could feel it too- he grinned against her skin, pulling back his mouth and replacing it with three fingers, curling at the sweet spot he knew would drive her crazy.  
“Do you want to come, Regina?” She nodded furiously, barely muffling her sob.  
“Hmm… have you earned it?” Oh god not this. She was so close her thighs were trembling, her fists clenched so hard her nails were cutting into her skin. “Perhaps you have, you’ve been _very_ quiet,”  
She nodded in agreement- the small movement distracting her from the height of her arousal.  
“Come on Regina- come for me, _scream_ for me,”

And embarrassingly, she did. Sobbing and screaming from behind her gag her body shook and convulsed as she came so hard she could’ve sworn stars. Her orgasm seemed to have no end and he rode it out, fingers still moving as her sex quivered and she sobbed. She focussed on her breathing as she came down from her high- he slipped his fingers out of her and pulled off her blindfold. She found herself in his mansion- the chains gone from around her wrists. When she had regained control of her own body she rubbed them with a sigh. She frowned when she saw the cuff still on. She looked from the cuff to Rumplestiltskin, who grinned and giggled.  
“Oh not yet, dearie,” He tutted as he approached her, placing his face directly in front of hers. He kissed her face and used the gag to pull her closer until they were a mere inch apart. “You have to _earn_ it,”


	10. Ten

She knew he was coming. She was magic, after all. She also knew that he was blissfully unaware of her knowledge, and she decided to have some fun. She hadn’t seen him since King George’s prison cell (“ _I’m going to kill him. I’m going to rip his heart out in front of his son and crush it” “Don’t bother dearie; he will be of use to you soon. And don’t forget I still hold his son’s heart”)_ but she was unsurprised to find he knew of her escape. The word had barely been out that the Evil Queen had been captured before she returned. She had found four of her guards going through the things in her room- one eating an apple from her tree. She had all four, along with the two Robin had fought with, put to death that evening.

She transported herself to the corridor behind the one Robin was in. Pulling out her pocket mirror she studied his movements and remained one corridor behind; at one point he looked directly into one of the mirrors on the wall and Regina felt as though he was staring into her soul. She watched him freeze and hide as the guards walked past him, chuckling at his stealth. He was, after all, a thief by trade.  She had no idea how he knew where he was going though. A thought struck her- how well did he know the castles of royalty? He must have found his way to George’s treasury too, what if he knew her castle as well as she did? I mean, he had stolen from her before. The thought made her shake her head and smile. He was incorrigible. He reached the corridor where her room lay, moving quickly to the end. Regina watched him check behind before giving the locked door his full attention. Ensuring it could not be opened, she stepped into the corridor and crept up behind him until she was a meagre meter away, watching him attempt to pick her lock. She bit her lip and grinned.

“You could just say please, you know,” She said loudly, making Robin jump back in panic and reach for his bow. She strolled past him casually; walking into the room and leaving the door open behind her so he could follow. Only when she heard it shut did she turn to face him, sitting delicately on the edge of your bed and assessing the thief with one long sweep of her eyes. The Prince of Thieves in her chambers… oh my. She bit her lip to stop her from saying anything out loud.  
“You’re Majesty,” He tilted his head in greeting. “We need to talk,”  
“Indeed,” She responded. They did? She didn’t want to _talk._ What she wanted was far more sinful. Despite her eventful night with her mentor not four days ago, she found she wanted to seduce the outlaw. ( _“Tired yet, dearie?” “Not a chance,” “Are you sure? I might go easy on you if you’re tired…” “Do you worst you belligerent, malicious, manipulate- Oh! Ooooh God!-”)_

“You sacrificed yourself for me,”  
“For my debt,” She corrected. The thief raised a sceptical eyebrow.  
“Are you sure, milady?” She frowned at him.  
“Yes. Don’t question my motives. Just thank me,” Her face morphed into a smug grin. He approached her slowly, his intent quite clear, and it struck her as odd that she let him. She wouldn’t allow just anyone to sneak around her castle, break into her room and now steal a kiss.  
“Well in that case,” He caught her lips as his hands framed her face. She closed her eyes as she kissed him back, leaning into him from the edge of the bed. She opened her yes to check he was fully immersed in her before she bit his lip, hard.  
“And _that_ was for tying me up,” He exclaimed in pain and withdrew from her, raising his hand to his lip and it came away with blood.  
“That’s cruel, Regina,” He huffed. She wiggled her eyebrows.  
“They don’t call me evil for nothing, ‘ _Your Majesty’_ ”  
“Robin will do just fine,” He smirked as she rolled her eyes. “That’s right, they call you evil because you bite lips,”  
“What can I say? I’m a biter…” She watched his eyes widen and chuckled, pushing herself up from the bed and flouncing past him to the dressing table in the corner of the room.( _“You don’t actually think he’s interested in you?” “It’s not like that,” “Don’t delude yourself Regina; a man with an honour code isn’t going to love a murderer,”_ ). She stared at him in the mirror.  
“Drink?” She asked innocently, waving her hand and conjuring two glasses of Whiskey. He approached her from behind, staring at her eyes in the mirror.

“You knew I was coming?” He phrased it as a question.  
“Naturally,” His eyebrows furrowed and she turned to look at him, holding out the glass. “Robin, you met _Marceline;_ that’s not me. Let me assure you that Regina is quite different,”  
“Oh? She didn’t seem that different when she was sacrificing herself for me and men-”  
“-To settle a _debt-_ ”  
“-Or finding a babysitter for my son-”  
“-To stop him getting in my way-” His exasperated sigh was followed by a chuckle. ( _Never forget who you are. Monsters like you and I cannot be loved, Regina. Especially not by righteous people,”_ ).  She hadn’t noticed how close he had gotten to her. He was almost pressing her up against the dressing table.  
“Why can’t you just admit there’s good in you?”  
( _“He only wants to fuck you. We both know it, dearie, it’s happened before,”_ ).   
“Because there isn’t,” She intended her voice to sound harsh and cold but instead it came out meek and quiet, more like self-loathing than the authoritative tone she had been hoping for. He lowered his face to hers.  
“I disagree,” He whispered. He gulped his drink down in one and set the glass down behind her so his arm was conveniently behind them both and able to wrap around her waist. He pushed forward so slowly she hardly noticed, pressing her into the table so she was trapped. “But if you want to play the bad girl…” trying not to cringe at his words she looked up into his eyes when he slipped a hand under her chin and pulled it upwards. His words were spoken right over her lips; “Be my guest,”

He kissed her again; full of urgency and need. She found herself pressing against him, gripping his biceps as his hands slipped around her waist and pulled her flush to him. She kissed him harder, inhaling the scent of him; of forest and cool air and the wild. ( _“I-hate-you-so-much,” “It doesn’t matter, Regina. You’re mine,”_ ). His hands lowered still to grip her ass, pulling her up to him as he swallowed her gasp with a grin. Before she could find her bearings he spun her so she was facing the mirror- still being pressed against the table. His lips moved to her neck and he lavished her with kisses and small bites and sucks that left her gasping and sighing. Her hands moved up to fist his hair behind her, and with a mischievous grin she pushed back his ass against him. He gritted his teeth and hissed, biting her neck hard enough to make her exclaim. His eyes met hers in the mirror and one of his hands moved to her front- to her chest, her breasts. His hand slipped below the low neckline to cup one of her breasts and when he skimmed his thumb over her nipple she bit her lip and inhaled sharply, closing her eyes and writhing.

“Regina,” He nipped her earlobe to bring her back to earth and she met his eyes in the cool glass. “You’re so beautiful,” She couldn’t keep the blush off her face but she was distracted when he pinched her nipple, his other hand coming up to her other breast. ( _“Beg me, dearie. We both know that’s where this is heading; why prolong the torture? Just succumb to me, or else I’ll stop,”_ ). She kept her eyes on his as a roll of his hips brought forth a moan from the back of her throat.  
“Robin,” She slurred, pushing her chest into his touch and her ass into his crotch.  
“Even with a different face,” He continued, lavishing her breasts with attention as he kept her  eyes on hers, “My god you were so _seductive,_ ” Her eye flashed as she pulled on his hair harshly, pushing his mouth back down to her neck. He continued to kiss down her neck and along to her collar bone.  
“And when I found out who you really were,” She rolled her ass back again and they both held back a groan. “I couldn’t get you out of my head,”  
“Tied to a bed by a stranger, my god that was _hot,_ ” she groaned, her voice husky and rough.  
“You kept groaning in your sleep, and I couldn’t stop imagining-”  
“What? What were you imagining?”  
“You,” He kissed her and bit her and she grabbed his hair and turned her head towards him. “You. On your knees,” She couldn’t suppress her grin. She pushed her ass into him and smirked at his responding moan.  
“Regina, if you do that one more time-”  
“-You’ll what?” He raised his eyes to her in the mirror once more. ( _“What about now Regina? Shall I fuck you now!?”_ ).   
“I’ll tie you up,” He growled and she inhaled at his works, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

He had condemned them both.  
She just couldn’t resist. Stifling a grin she rocked her hips into him and almost chuckled when he grabbed her hips roughly and spun her, kissing her as he picked her up. He carried her over to the bed and dropped her on it, barely giving her time to move before he was on top on her, kissing her again. She propped herself on her elbows and kissed him back, following him as he moved up the bed, forcing her back. He peeled her arms out of the dress and pulled it down, releasing her breasts into the cold air, pebbled and aroused. ( _“Look at you, you whore. You’re enjoying this aren’t you? You’re worthless, Regina, and you know it. Look at what I can reduce you to. You are nothing but my slave; my doll,”_ ) Before she had a chance to open her mouth and remind him of his promise she found herself flipped and lying on her stomach. She realised too late that he had her hands pinned h=behind her back, encased in his. She felt him tying them with something- his scarf?- and grinned, letting her head fall down to the mattress.

“Just because you can’t handle me,” She muttered. She felt him pause.  
“What was that, Regina?” He said, testing her.   
“That’s _Your Majesty_ ,” She corrected and turned to grin over her shoulder, “And I was merely suggesting that now I’m _me_ again you won’t be able to handle it,” He raised an eyebrow at her challenge.   
“Well, _Regina_ , that’s big talk coming from the woman with her hands tied behind her back,” She caught sight of his cocky grin and bit her lip to supress her victory smile. In a puff of purple smoke they were switched so he was divested of his shirt and tied up on her bed while she straddled him. His frown was priceless. ( _“That’s right, Regina. Come for me,”_ ).

“Oh,” He said quietly, looking up at her smirk. Deciding he was rather going to enjoy this challenge, he pulled his hands free- thief, after all – and kissed the cocky grin off her face.


	11. Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm coming close to ending this fanfiction, but i don't know; these characters tend to have a life of their own... Feedback is always welcomed :)

She bit down hard on her lip to keep herself from crying out, and while she knew he would notice the blood from her torn skin it was better than giving in to him. By the time she had managed to regulate her breathing and calm herself back down she was aware that he was on the other side of the room. She picked herself up off the table and began to redress.  
“You know, in another land the clothes are much easier to remove. I think you’d like it,” She didn’t respond to him. She heard his footsteps and felt him approach her. His gentle touch on her arm made her halt her movements and she slowly turned to him, half undressed, and looked at his hand.  
“Let go,” She ushered quietly, lacking her usual barb she reserved just for her teacher.  
“Look at me,” He replied, also surprisingly softly considering the volumes he had reached just minutes earlier, and the stinging sensation she could _still_ feel that would keep her from sitting comfortably for weeks. She raised her eyes slowly, taking him in. His bare chest; a kaleidoscope of greens and yellows and purples, his neck, covered with rapidly-healing scratches from her own claws, and further to his full lips, aristocratic nose and then- finally- to his accusing eyes.

She hadn’t meant for it to go this far (Did she ever?) The past few weeks had been wrought with interesting nights between her and the outlaw, and despite her mentor’s harsh claims that the thief only wanted one thing from her the couple didn’t confine themselves to within the castle walls. Robin had once appeared outside her window on a horse with another in tow and the pair went for a midnight picnic. On another occasion he had taken her to a lake and the pair had gone swimming in the hot evening sun. Their activities ultimately ended in sex, but Regina found that it was always instigated by her; although the outlaw would not refuse her, he would never take her. He didn’t expect anything more than her company. It had been a very long time since Regina had met someone like that.

Eventually it had been her that had returned to Rumple, and not the other way around. She had left it as long as she could but her magic needed improving; always. She was quite determined to learn her mother’s useful transposing trick, and also they had been midway through throwing knives using magic while facing the other way when she had pouted half way through the lesson and demanded he change her, and she was rather keen to learn the skill. So she had arrived, unannounced, at his mansion and demanded he continue their lessons. He had merely raised an eyebrow at her mandates, and told her he had work to finish first. She had realised after the first hour of her sitting uncomfortably in a chair while he wrote that he was testing her. A further half hour had her huffing and puffing and by the second hour she had practically turned blue.

The lesson had started badly and merely regressed from that point onwards. She was still distracted at every waking moment by the thief; his eyes, hair, moustache. Rumple had clearly noted her lack of concentration and was just as irritable with her as she was with him. She missed the target time and time and time again, and after he had pulled back the knife to her hand for what felt like the _millionth_ time he spoke with a cool clear voice that cut through her daydreams and straight to her core.

“Miss it again, Regina, and I will spank you,”

Her breath hitched and she dropped the knife in disbelief.  
“W-what?” She muttered, bending to pick up the knife. He took it before she could.  
“You heard me, dearie,” He smiled at her in a business-like manner and she stuttered in outrage.  
“But that’s… well t-that’s just-”  
“Incentive,” He handed her the knife with a smirk and she gulped and turned her back on the target.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she was thinking about Robin, or she wasn’t very good, or perhaps a tiny part of her even _wanted_ to miss it but she heard the metal clatter onto the cold stone floor and winced. When she risked a glance at Rumple he was staring at the knife, one eyebrow raised. He looked at her and tutted.  
“Now let’s see, I think we’ll have one for every time you’ve missed so far,”

She was completely unaware she had missed the target seventeen times.

But now as she looked into his eyes she saw something new in them; something that she had never seen before. It was a strange coldness, like he didn’t care but somehow he did. The look unnerved her slightly and she felt shivers run through her entire body. His hand on her arm clenched suddenly and she drew in breath quickly at the change of pressure. It wasn’t quite painful; as opposed to the snarl he was now shooting her way. She met it with a defiant lift of her chin.  
“Answer me this, Regina,” He began, his voice no longer high and playfully, but the low growly tones he reserved for those he was about to kill. That is, his victims, and her. “What is my name?”  
She frowned immediately “What?”  
“My name, Regina,” His fingers were beginning to tighten. “What is it?” She hesitated only a second longer.  
“Rumplestiltskin,”

He raised his eyebrows.  
“Are you quite sure, dearie?” Her frown deepened. She couldn’t help but feel like this was somehow a trick question.  
“Are you sure it’s not ‘Robin’?” Her facial expression cleared to one of apparent horror, and then quickly switched to as nonchalant as she could manage.  
“What are you talking about?” She tried to pull her arm out of his grip but he merely dug in his fingernails, causing her to hiss and lean into him.  
“Is-my-name-Robin?”

The memory came flooding back to her in a moment of lucid abhorrence.  
_“Say my name Regina; scream it,”  
“Yes, yes, oh god yes Robin yes,”_

He must have seen the realisation in her eyes because something changed in him. He returned to his usual playful demeanour, his façade back in place. She risked a brief glance into his eyes and saw how much he understood. She couldn’t understand what the big deal was; Rumple was aware of her multiple lovers and this was more than just male pride. A thought dawned on her- yes she had always taken lovers besides Rumple, but no matter what she did none of them had the same effect on her as he did. No one could make her scream like he could. Nobody, except Robin. Robin had met her tutor, perhaps even surpassed him. She wondered if Rumple could possibly know this. The thought scared her. No doubt he would feel possessive over his little paramour, and she was unsure what he would do to her. His hand gripping her arm hard enough to hurt, she had no idea what to expect.

She didn’t expect him to let go of her. She didn’t expect him to growl “Same time next week, dearie,” And turn his back on her. Clearly her lesson was over. Confused by his rather abrupt change of character she wanted to stay and push him, but wisdom told her to leave. She gathered her cloak and risked one glance over her shoulder before leaving the room. Rumple was staring out of the window, not paying her the slightest bit of attention.

The whole situation unnerved her; she had never seen him behave like that before, not even when pushed to his very limits. This was something new, something bigger than she understood. But she was quite determined what about her relationship with the outlaw could trigger such a reaction from her cold, maleficent mentor.


	12. Twelve

“It’s just cake,” She told him, rolling her eyes at his amazement.  
“Regina, it’s taller than me,”  
“Fine; it’s just a cake that’s taller than you. Stop marvelling- you must have seen things like this when you were gentry? Sir Robert of Locksley never had a big cake?” This time it was his turn to roll his eyes at her.  
“We didn’t do extravagant foods, Regina, the area was too poor. Did you just call me Robert?” She shrugged, avoiding his eyes. He grasped her chin and she waited for his reply; would he chastise her for using his proper name? Would he laugh with her? She didn’t see his finger scooping icing sugar off the cake behind his back until he spread it over her nose. She drew back with a cry of disgust and wiped her nose clean while he laughed at her. Her eyes crossed as she looked at her nose and cleared away the confectionary with her finger, and he laughed at her focus. She glared at him until his mirth subsided, and smiled mischievously as an idea struck her. She slowly lifted her finger to her lips and then took it into her mouth, cleaning it of all traces of icing sugar while she looked him in the eye. He swallowed obviously and she began to approach him slowly, still sucking her finger. Completely engrossed in her, he did not notice her sweep a finger from her other hand across the cake until it was too late and she had her revenge, smearing a dollop of cream over his chin before he realised what was happening.

He caught the offending hand- by now she had pulled the other one out of her mouth and raised it to defend herself. He caught it deftly in his other hand, and with her hands entrapped in his she put up a poor fight. She had resolved not to use magic on him; she knew he disliked it, it was unfamiliar territory and it usually gave her the advantage. She used magic constantly, but not directly on him. He smirked at her when she tried –fruitlessly- to escape. She raised an eyebrow at his expression and instead of pulling away she leaned forward instead and began to kiss the confectionary off his chin. She heard his sigh next to her as she moved on to his neck, kissing below the hinge of his jaw in a way she knew had his pulse thrashing. In his moment of weakness she pulled her hands out of his grasp, grabbed a handful of cake, and stuffed it into his face.

He spluttered and half choked on it as she laughed and backed away. He clawed at his face to get the stuff away from his eyes and nose, and she doubled over with laughter and the thought of him being so caught up with her actions that he would drop his guard so easily. She knew he would retaliate- but she did not anticipate the amount of cake his tough, large hands could grab and felt it hit the side of her head and dribble down her hair. No doubt it had ruined her makeup too, and it had blocked off one of her ears. She couldn’t stop a large part of the cake dripping onto her favourite velvet dress and her cry of outrage only made him laugh harder. She looked up at him- absolutely furious- wiping cake from her face as she gritted her teeth and this time used both hands to seize more cake. This time Robin was prepared; he used one hand to block her cake and with the other reached for more ammunition, hitting her waist on the other side. The cake sank through the lacy mid-section of her dress and onto her cool skin, and she gasped at the contrasting temperatures.

The cake she had thrown had barely hit him, covering the edge of his trousers and little more. Thinking smart, she reached for more cake and aimed it just beside his head. Believing she had missed entirely, he didn’t bother to block. It hit his quiver and splattered across the back of his head, completely taking him by surprise. She used his moment of surprise to hit him with another dollop; this time right across his middle. She couldn’t help but laugh now, at his shocked expression, made even more comical by the cake bespattered all over him. She realised she must have looked quite similar, if not worse because she was in her queenly-attire.

Fearing this competition would never end if she didn’t stop him there and then, she approached him slowly and kissed him through the cake, pressing her body against his despite the mess. He let out a surprised moan and kissed her back, pulling away before things got too serious.  
“You’ve ruined my cake,” She grumbled after a moment, putting on a petulant expression. He looked over his shoulder and made a face at the mess that was a grand cake.  
“ _We’ve_ ruined your cake,” He corrected and she frowned.  
“You started it,” She mumbled, her voice so quiet he could barely hear her.  
“What was that, Your Majesty?”  
“Nothing,”  
“No, you said something,”  
“Did I?” He let out a frustrated growl which turned into a chuckle.

She pulled away and bit her lip, looking also at the mess of a cake. Instead of the grand heights it reached before, it was now completely slanted over. Chunks of cake were missing and other bits were crushed, giving it a completely unruly look; even the side they hadn’t touched looked tampered with. She sighed, thinking of the hours she had personally slaved over the decoration of the cake.  
“I’m sorry about the cake,” Came a quiet, almost contrite voice her and she let out a small smile, she turned to him with a grin.  
“What about the cake?” She asked, and he frowned- about to highlight the train-wreck behind her- when it was consumed in purple smoke. When the mist cleared the cake was as good as new, it’s toppings and decoration perfectly in place once again. He frowned.  
“If you could’ve made it with magic why didn’t you in the first place? You told me it took you hours to make this,”

Regina set about clearing up the room, looking around her for any sign of their food fight and waving her hand over it until the mess cleared.  
“I don’t have to walk anywhere Robin, I could use magic to transport me anywhere. But then I would be fat,” She turned around and gave him a look. “I _like_ cooking. Somehow I feel it tastes better when I’ve made it by hand,” She looked down herself and began to clear away the mess left on her clothes, simultaneously using magic to clear her face and fix her hair. “Magic is only a part of me, Robin. I can’t let it take over my life entirely,” She turned to him and he held out his arms- waiting for her to clean him up to. Instead, she offered him a dazzling and ever-so-slightly mischievous grin and turned, flouncing out of the room and leaving a very disgruntled Robin to follow behind, protesting the unfair treatment.

  

* * *

 

Rumplestiltskin was not happy.

He had spent years adding details to his grand plan. It had taken him several years to discover Regina, and many, many more to destroy her. He understood why they called [would call] her the most resilient; he had thrown everything he could at her and still she remained passive. He had pushed Cora to tear out her heart and thus become the cruel, driving mother that she had been. He had ensured Regina marry the King against her will, and had more fun than he would admit to slowly poisoning the marriage further. He had sent numerous anonymous letters to Leopold informing him of the affairs his wife was having, causing the man’s over-protectiveness which pushed him to keep Regina so constrained, in turn driving her more and more angry.

He hadn’t actually planned the nasty affair between the young princess Snow and Regina’s stable boy, but it turned out to be the tipping point. Rumplestiltskin reasoned that without this event Regina wouldn’t have been quite so easy to ruin. As it was she had been almost there- coming to him for help with transfiguration had been another step towards her spiralling descent. She was almost there; almost devastated enough to cast his curse. He was one step closer to Baelfire. He presumed Snow and her Prince’s joining would be the tipping point for the Evil Queen- seeing her mortal enemy finding true love and rejoicing in the happiness she had denied Regina would be too much for the broken Queen. Rumple couldn’t wait to see her crushed. He felt no remorse at having spent the past twenty or so years intricately planning the downfall of someone so innocent and full of hope. Turning a pure young girl into a killer.

And she had been so close! So _fucking_ close before that Outlaw came along and ruined _everything_! Rumplestiltskin felt his temper burning hot inside him, and he struggled to maintain his composure. He gritted his teeth as he thought about the thief _mending_ her- tampering with his toy, his Regina. Undoing decades of work with a few smiles and loving words. It simply would not do.

Rumplestiltskin rested his head on his hands and began to plan how to get his beautiful, ruined puppet back.


	13. Thirteen

“Oh look,” He cried sarcastically, “The _Evil_ Queen. Or should I say the _Slightly-Unpleasant_ Queen? For it seems that’s what you’ve become, dearie,”

Regina didn’t answer for a very long time. Instead, she watched him brew the potion he was currently working on with complete focus and diligence. Despite his faults, Rumple always was as dedicated as he was perfect. He put his all into everything he did; it was why all his potions were near-perfect, why all his spells were pristine. In short, it was why he was such a good practitioner of magic. Regina too had this flair, this slight obsession with precision. The difference was her lack of patience- not to mention her mentor had several years on her.

Without any further regard for her presence Rumple mixed the contents of a blue flask with a clear one, stirring slowly as the mixture slowly turned a queer shade of mahogany. He added three drops from a pipet resting to his right and the mixture began to smoke, and when the white cloud had cleared his potion had turned into a solid- a blob of luminous green.

“What is that?” She asked with a frown plastered on her brows, and he waved her away in dismissal. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes she took a step closer to him.  
“I’m not so ruthless now- so what? I’ve taken my mind off _Snow White,_ I couldn’t care less where she runs away to rot,” She cocked her head as he began to add tiny eyeballs, one by one. He passed her a beaker full of purple bubbles.  
“Heat,” He ordered and she took it on automatic, summoning a fireball in her hand and holding it to the bottom of the beaker, curling her fist until the flame turned blue and the bubbles began to pop, leaving behind a purple murky residue. She watched the rest of the bubbles pop and continued;  
“I’ve come to tell you I want to stop my lessons,” When he did not react in the slightest she pressed on, “I’ve no need for them anymore. I’m right where I want to be, in terms of my magic. I’m ready to continue by myself,”

He produced a noise that might have been a scornful snort, or a cough as his own flask once again began to smoke. She had turned down her own flame but continued to heat it, despite all the bubbles were now popped.  
“I wanted to thank you though,” Her own words surprised her; she hadn’t intended to thank him. His methods were brutal and vicious- he himself had been unbearable on occasion. But now as the words left her lips she realised she was grateful. After all, Rumple had freed her from her mother’s tyrannical grasp and despite his unorthodox methods she had learned a lot. “You changed my life so much, and taught me everything I know,”

She was trying not to let it bug her that he wasn’t paying her the slightest bit of attention. This was a method he had taken to using quite frequently, and he knew how much it annoyed her. With a steely resolve she placed the beaker in her hand back on the desk- satisfied that it was sufficiently heated- and straightened up, extinguishing the fireball in her hands and brushing down her skirt.  
“Well,” She took a deep breath, “Goodbye, Rumplestiltskin,”

She had reached the door before she realised something was wrong.

She had seen him brew this potion before, a few years after she had ripped out and crushed the heart of his newest pupil. Though he hadn’t deigned to discuss with her the victim of this potion, he had explained briefly that it modified memory. But it was a very difficult potion to brew.

Because

Because the victim had to partake in the brewing, otherwise the potion wouldn’t work fully.

That was it- it only erased memory to perfection if the victim helped to make the potion in some way, otherwise the memory could return, it wasn’t solid.

With suspicion in her eyes and a growing fear in her heart, Regina turned to leave. Her stomach dropped when the handle wouldn’t budge. She turned back to him slowly, and he was staring at her, a malicious smile struck on his features- as a cat might grin at a mouse. She gulped and shuddered inwardly, before rolling her eyes.  
“Let me out, Rumple,” She tried to ignore the fact that behind him on the table, the potion was complete.  
“Oh no, dearie,” He said in a menacing voice which caused goose pimples to rise on her skin, “We have some things to discuss.” He began to walk towards her slowly, stalking her. She was slightly relieved to find that he left the potion on his desk. “You see, I didn’t arrange a marriage between a pretty young girl and a careless old man for nothing,” Her features creased as she ran her mind over his sentence. She stared at him in horror as he continued. “I didn’t bring a doctor from another realm to this one to pretend to bring her fiancée back to life, to crush her hope, for nothing,” Regina’s lip was beginning to curl up in a snarl- but she couldn’t decipher whether she was struck silent or whether she wanted him to continue. “I didn’t help a young princess thwart her on several occasions, for _nothing,_ ” He was starting to shout but she was beyond caring. “I didn’t pitch several whole villages against her; I didn’t slander her name from one town to another, for _nothing_!” He had reached her by this point and was towering over her, pressing her up against the door. He reached his arms behind her and spoke right into her ear, his voice starting at a whisper.

“I didn’t spend twenty two years breeding a _monster_ , for one _filthy fucking outlaw_ , to come around and ruin _decades_ of careful planning with his cock!” She  screwed up her face as he screamed directly in her ears. His mentioning of Robin seemed to snap her back to reality and, putting all her strength and magic into it, she shoved him away from her so forcefully he fell back as far as the desk, nearly spilling his potion.  
“ _What have you done to Robin?”_ She shouted, surprising herself. She had intended to shout at him, to accuse him of ruining her life and tearing her apart day-by-day, but her concern for the outlaw seemed to commandeer her speech. To her dismay, Rumple merely smiled.  
“ _Where is he!?”_ She screamed, turning to the door and pulling desperately on the handle, pounding on the solid oak. With a sudden gasp she withdrew her door from the handle as she realised what he had done.

He had spread the potion on the door handle, knowing her panic would cloud her judgment.

It was too late.

When she looked up at him a mixture of terror and horror in her eyes, he held up a gloved hand and waved it at her, blue liquid dripping onto the floor.  
“Oh don’t worry Regina; your thief will receive the same treatment. It will be as though you two had never met- and I intend for things to stay that way,”

“Why?” She had intended for it to come out as a sharp accusation, but instead it came out as a desperate whimper. Rumple’s features seemed to cloud over suddenly, giving him a hazy look as he avoided her gaze.  
“For my son,” He muttered.  
“What?” He snapped his head up to her.  
“One day Regina, not too far away, I’ll finally push you until you snap. You’re going to enact the dark curse; I have foreseen it.”

“ _Never,_ ” She hissed resolutely. “I’ll _never_ do it,” He shot her an infuriating smile.  
“I’m afraid that you’ll have no choice, dearie. It’s your destiny,”  
“No!” She cried, turning back to the door. “ _Nooo!_ ”

Then she stopped, quite suddenly, and fell to the floor in one sudden movement. Rumple moved to clear away the mess behind him and with one great big sweep the apparatus was clean and ready to use once again. He turned when he heard a noise.

Regina stood, staring at him impatiently.  


“Well?” She demanded, “Are you going to teach me to transfigure? Or are you going to ignore me all day?”

 

Robin was a little nervous- he had heard terrible tales of trespassers in Rumplestiltskin’s house, but after all Regina had invited him here, and the two were close. He pushed open large oak door, looking at the ornate room that lay within.  
“Regina?” He called for her, not as loudly as perhaps he should. His voice echoed in the dark corridor behind him.

He stepped into the room and pulled shut the door behind him, making for the desk in the middle of the room. The apparatus on the desk was unlike anything he had ever seen before, but on it he found a note from Regina.   
“ _Robin, I’ll be with you in just a moment, I’m just finishing a lesson. Could you stir this potion for me while you wait? I won’t be long, Regina.”_

With a slight shrug he moved his attention to the beaker on the edge of the desk and began to stir it happily, watching as the green liquid turned blue slowly. As high as his curiosity burned, he was still very wary of magic- especially any he might find in the Dark One’s house. A low chuckle filled the room, making Robin and spill the mixture. Forgetting the laugh momentarily- and with Regina in mind- he tried to get as much liquid back into the beaker as he could, scooping it up with his hands as he set it upright.

“That was easier than I thought,” Came a voice from nowhere in particular. Robin turned around, trying to locate the voice.  
“Who’s there?” He called. Rumplestiltskin stepped out of the shadows. Robin regarded him warily.  
“Where’s Regina?” He asked, and he didn’t like Rumple’s responding smile at all.  
“Regina’s busy,” He said dismissively. Robin frowned. “You won’t be seeing her again,”

He felt a cold hand tighten around his heart, and he reached behind him for his bow, grasping an arrow with the other hand. Before the outlaw took another breath he had an arrow aimed at Rumple’s chest.  
“What have you done to her?”  
“It’s not what I’ve done to her,” Rumple said conversationally, strolling across the room and ignoring Robin’s weapon. “It’s what _you’ve_ done to her,” He stopped and indicated the outlaw’s wet hands. “And what you’ve done to yourself,”

Robin barely had time to glance down at his blue hands before everything went black and cold.


End file.
